Xanxus' Babysitter
by Starchains
Summary: Harry was starting a new life. Xanxus was drowning in his. Harry wasn't going to let another child break under the adult's expectations.
1. Meeting with Xanxus

**Chapter One - Meeting with Xanxus**

Hermione had been incredulous when Harry had told her that he had found a job as a servant in an Italian mansion. To go from the Man-Who-Won, a rising star in the Auror department and media darling, to someone who was paid to cook, clean and be invisible, was such a massive step down that she couldn't wrap her head around it.

"It's a done deal, Hermione," he had told her. "I passed the interview, they tested my skills, I'll be moving to Italy next week. This is just to say goodbye."

"But Harry," she had said, "why are you doing this? Why Italy? Why Muggles? When will we see you again?"

"I need a fresh start, Hermione, and you do too. You and Ron need to be out from under my shadow, and that won't happen until I'm far away. I never wanted to be a hero, Hermione. I never wanted to spend the rest of my life fighting. I'm good at cooking and cleaning, and I enjoy it. Besides, I spent the last six months learning Italian. Aren't you proud of me?"

"But Harry," she had repeated, ignoring his teasing, "You said that they monitor calls, and that they liked the fact that you were an orphan from outside the country. It's suspicious."

"Hermione, I can handle it," he had assured her. "They like their privacy, and they don't want anyone spying on them. If it is dangerous, better me than some unsuspecting Muggle. Do you think I can't handle it? I get four weeks holiday a year, it's not like I'll never see you again."

She had rolled her eyes at him as he grinned at her, before he grabbed his completely Muggle luggage and headed out the door, saying a fond farewell not just to her, but to the Magical World.

Magic had brought him a lot of joy. It had saved him from the Dursleys, it had given him friends. But now he couldn't even touch his wand without remembering the people he'd killed with it. He couldn't cast so much as a cleaning charm without thinking of a hundred different ways it could be used to set traps, to avoid detection, to torture. You could kill someone with a cleaning charm if you stuck your wand up their nose and cast hard enough. Harry needed a break, and no one else seemed to understand. Cleaning seemed like the way to go. He had been forced to do chores by Aunt Petunia, but he was genuinely proud of the skills he had developed. He was almost as house-proud as she was by the time his Hogwarts letter came, although he hid that from his housemates. They all seemed fine with being messy, joking about mothers that cleaned their rooms for them. Harry hadn't wanted to stand out.

So here he was, three days after his orientation week, cleaning in the Vongola Mansion. As the newbie, he had been given the most dangerous job – cleaning the bedroom of the boss's youngest son. Xanxus was a menace, according to the staff, a 'prickly ball of rage'. Harry had only seen him from a distance. Rumours said that he was a bastard child, taken from the slums where he was raised by 'that whore mother of his'. With that history, and that attitude from the people around him, Harry could see why the kid might be angry.

His rooms – Xanxus had a suite, which meant Harry had to clean a bedroom, living room and bathroom – had to be dealt with while Xanxus was with his tutors. However, Christian, who had shown him the ropes, had told him that Xanxus often left his lessons early, and would return to his rooms when he didn't feel like spending time at the shooting range. Harry had been told that the best approach was to stay quiet and non-confrontational and leave as soon as possible. Harry had looked dubious at the advice, since walking on eggshells around someone was hardly going to encourage them to feel at home. Christian had misread his expression, and reassured him that he probably wouldn't run into Xanxus at all.

Of course, a comment like that was like a double-dare to the Potter luck. Harry was putting the books that had been scattered all over the floor back in their places on the bookshelves as the furious eleven year old slammed the door open and threw himself angrily onto the sofa. Harry watched him out of the corner of his eye as he carried on working. Xanxus was about average height for an eleven year old, a head taller than Harry had been at that age. He had black hair that was almost as messy as his own, and a ferocious scowl on his face. With that look and the dark clothes that he was wearing, Harry suddenly had the thought of him as a little raincloud, about to start a storm. It made him seem even more adorable than he already was, although he was probably aiming for threatening.

"The hell are you doing, trash?" he demanded petulantly, as he caught sight of Harry.

"I'm cleaning," Harry said. He had been told to address Xanxus as 'Young Master', but he got the feeling that would irritate him as much as it did Harry.

"Get the fuck out," he commanded. His words said to leave, but his body language, his tone of voice, it was all screaming that the kid needed someone to talk to. How many adults had taken him at his word and just walked away?

"Would you mind if I finished sorting this out first? You came back rather early."

"Yeah?" Xanxus stood up suddenly. "You got a problem with that, trash? Do you really want to tell me that I should stay sat in pointless lessons with the useless, patronising scum?" By the end of his little rant, Xanxus was right up in Harry's face.

"I don't have a problem with that. Although your tutor must have brains of fluff if he thinks the best way to teach anyone anything is to patronise them. If he's that blind, he really shouldn't be teaching."

"You think so?" Xanxus sounded unexpectedly vulnerable. Seeming to realise this, he flung himself back onto the sofa. "Do what you want, trash."

Harry carried on sorting the books. Xanxus was actually reasonably tidy, compared to the boys he had shared a dorm with. He had a habit of leaving books lying around everywhere, and from the look of his bedroom through the open door he didn't seem to understand what a laundry hamper was for, but other than that there wasn't a lot that needed doing.

"Do you mind if I clean your bedroom?" Harry asked. Xanxus started.

"The hell would I mind for, trash?" he asked.

"Your bedroom is your space. It's generally polite to ask before you intrude on someone's private space, and it occurred to me that I didn't know if anyone had actually asked your permission." If Xanxus was a street kid, he was probably desperately trying to regain some control over his life after it had been turned upside down. Giving him a private space he knew no one would invade would help him.

"No one asked anything, trash." Xanxus paused for a moment. "Leave it alone. I'll keep it clean. I'll set the other trash straight if they bitch to you about it."

"Thanks," Harry said. Then he decided to try and confirm the thought he'd had earlier. "Do you actually want me to call you 'Young Master"?"

Xanxus scoffed. "Fuck no. Call me Xanxus."

Harry grinned and held his hand out. "Harry. Pleased to meet you."

Xanxus shook his hand, seeming nonplussed. He sat quietly while Harry cleaned the room around him, grunting out a goodbye as Harry left the room.

The next day, Harry was half-expecting to see Xanxus again when he went to clean his room. It seemed that he had decided to either stick with his lessons or shoot something, because he wasn't there. This was the trend until three days after that first meeting. Xanxus still wasn't there, but he had left a note on the table in his living room for him.

 _Trash_ _Harry_

 _What the hell am I supposed to do with the dirty laundry? I'm going to shoot that bitch if she doesn't shut up about it._

 _X_

By 'that bitch', Harry assumed that Xanxus meant Irene, the stern middle-aged woman who was in charge of laundry. It was a bigger job than Harry had thought it was. When he had asked, she had explained that she wasn't simply in charge of making sure clothes were clean, but also that suits were commissioned and tailored, torn clothing was replaced, workout clothes weren't worn too thin and a host of other things. If it involved clothes, it went through her. She had been complaining to Harry that Xanxus' dirty laundry never made it into the wash. Technically it was Harry's responsibility, but she had been sympathetic when he said that Xanxus had asked him to leave his room alone. No one wanted to light the fuse on his notoriously short temper.

This seemed to be another thing that no one had asked about or explained to Xanxus. The more he was hearing, the more Harry was empathising with the boy's anger issues. It seemed that throwing temper tantrums was the only way to get anyone to pay attention to him. Harry grabbed the pen lying next to the paper and scrawled a reply.

 _Xanxus_

 _Dump your dirty clothes in the blue laundry hamper in the corner of your bedroom. If you don't want me going in there to collect it, leave it in the living room. The laundry room is just off the kitchen, so if you have anything with a stain that needs to be dealt with right away, take it there or ask one of the servants to do it for you._

 _Harry_

He considered adding a more personal touch to the note – a 'how are you?' or 'hope classes are going well' – but he didn't think that Xanxus would appreciate it. Best to establish a line of communication before he started pushing.

The next day, the hamper full of dirty clothes was stood in the living room, and there was another note on the coffee table.

 _Harry_

 _Where the fuck do I get different shower gel from? This shitty floral stuff is driving me crazy, and if I have to use it any more I'm pouring it down someone's throat._

 _X_

Now Harry was irritated. Had no one explained anything to him? His orientation had been a thousand times more thorough than this. He scrawled out a reply and took a couple of deep breaths before his annoyance could turn to anger.

 _Xanxus_

 _What kind of incompetent moron was in charge of getting you settled in here? Do they expect you to be telepathic or something? If you know what you want, write a list it'll get bought for you. I'm going shopping tomorrow, so I can pick stuff up for you personally. If you get permission from whoever you need to, I can take you with me._

 _Harry_

So he wasn't as good at keeping the anger out of the note as he had hoped. He didn't think Xanxus would mind. It was his day off tomorrow, and he had permission to take one of the cars into town and pick up some things eh needed – a bookcase for his room, a new jacket and some better conditioner. He had heard from one of the cooks about a conditioner that might actually be able to neaten his hair, and he was curious. It would be no trouble to take Xanxus with him.

He wasn't expecting to be called to the Boss's office the next morning. Christian led him there and knocked on the door, looking at him sideways and obviously dying to know what he done wrong. Harry knew in general that someone had a problem with his relationship with Xanxus, but he didn't know what the specific issue was.

A voice called for them to enter. Harry walked into the room, to stand in front of the desk, while Christian bowed from the doorway and rushed away. An old man Harry recognised as his Boss, Vongola Nono, was sat behind the desk, while a thirty year old man Harry was fairly sure was the man's oldest son, Enrico, leant casually against it.

Probably-Enrico straightened up as Harry approached the desk. He pushed himself upright and stalked in a circle around Harry. Harry had to suppress the urge to sigh and roll his eyes. This kind of cheap intimidation tactic might work on the inexperienced teenager he looked like, but it really made no impression on him. Facing down Voldemort kind of spoiled lesser threats.

After a thorough inspection, Probably-Enrico came round to look him in the eyes.

"What do you want with my little brother?" he growled.

"I want to clean his rooms," Harry replied. What was he supposed to say?

"Do you know who I am?" Almost-Definitely-Enrico snarled, getting right up into Harry's face. Harry stayed silent. Really, what was he supposed to say here?

"I'm Enrico Vongola," Definitely-Enrico snapped, stepping back, "And I want to know what you want with Xanxus."

"I want him to be happy. And since no one else seems to be doing anything to help him settle in, I might have overstepped some boundaries to help. If that's a problem, I apologise." Wow. He hadn't realised he was that angry. Now that he was paying attention, his temper was roiling, begging to be let loose. He took a deep breath. Getting angry would not help here.

"You think I have been neglecting my son?" Vongola Nono asked in a voice like ice.

"He didn't know that he was allowed to ask for his bedroom to be left alone. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with laundry or how to get toiletries he liked. You've taken a young man who's used to being independent, and shoved him into a situation where he has no control. What do you think? Sir." Somehow he didn't think the title tacked onto the end of his little rant really helped at all.

"The fuck are you doing?" a familiar voice demanded from the doorway. Xanxus stormed into the room, putting himself very deliberately between Harry and Enrico.

"This young man is a very new employee, Xanxus, and he has immediately taken steps to insert himself into your good graces. It is likely that he is a plant from a rival Family to get close to you," Enrico explained.

"Harry is the only one out of all the trash who doesn't treat me like I'm fucking glass or a rabid dog. Maybe if you acted like I was human, we wouldn't have this problem, trash!" Xanxus roared. Vongola Nono reared back as though Xanxus had slapped him.

"Son, I never meant for you to feel out of place here. I'm sorry that I didn't take into account how overwhelming this must be for you, but if you just try…"

Xanxus cut him off. "Shut the fuck up, old man! I don't need your patronising bullshit! Maybe if you had actually tried at all, I wouldn't feel out of place. You're taking a wolf and trying to make it into a fucking lapdog!"

Harry knew that it wasn't his place to interfere in a family dispute, but he also knew that for whatever reason, he was the only one there that Xanxus even remotely trusted.

"Xanxus," he said, making the furious teen turn to face him. "Your father was raised like this. It probably doesn't occur to him that things like this need explaining. Why don't you write a list of the things that people are expecting you to magically know, so that he knows what the problems are?" Given how Xanxus had chosen to communicate through notes, Harry thought writing down problems might be easier for him.

"Sure," he scoffed. "Write a list so that he can bitch about my handwriting and language and all the other fucking bullshit the trash thinks is so fucking important."

Harry was panicked to see tears in Xanxus' eyes as he shook with rage. This breakdown had obviously been a long time coming. Xanxus grabbed his sleeve, and then, evidently deciding that wasn't enough contact, threw his arms tight around him.

Xanxus hugged the way he did everything else. Fiercely, angrily with an edge of barely restrained rage. His arms were like steel bands as he trembled against Harry. He knew Xanxus was crying because he could feel the damp spot on his chest where the boy was leaning. Xanxus took a mouthful of his shirt, biting down on it as a makeshift gag to stifle his sobs. Harry's heart broke at the sight of the child who was so terrified of being vulnerable even here, surrounded by the people who should make him feel safe. What had happened to him, to make him so afraid to be seen and heard when he cried? Harry was as immobile as if someone had cast Petrificus at him, with his arms pinned to his sides by the hug that was more of a restraint. Xanxus was clearly scared out of his mind at not being control, at maybe being weak even for a moment and allowing himself to accept comfort. All Harry could do was lean into the hold and let Xanxus know silently that he was there.

After a minute or so, Xanxus let go, wiping his face with his hand and scowling. "So. You want a list."

"I think it would help," Harry told him, trying as hard as Xanxus to act as though the boy hadn't just broken down.

"Right. Let's go do that. We'll go shopping later, trash." Back to trash. Xanxus really must be feeling the need to asset his authority again.

"Of course. Maybe your brother would like to come with us? I'm sure he'll know where the best shops are; I'm new here." Harry really wanted to start building bridged between Xanxus and his family before he slammed all his walls back up again.

Enrico jumped at the offer. "Of course I'll show my little brother round town! When you've done the lists, drop them in my room and we can go. You know where my room is, right?"

He beamed at Xanxus' curt nod. Nono smiled at Xanxus' awkward "Later, Old Man," that he muttered as he steered Harry out of the door.

Harry allowed himself a smile as he followed Xanxus down the corridor. The problems may not be entirely fixed, but at least they had made a start. He hadn't expected to become the keeper of an emotionally damaged boy and his anger issues when he moved to Italy, but he couldn't deny that life would be very interesting from here on out.


	2. Dancing with Squalo

**Chapter Two - Dancing with Squalo**

"Why the fuck do I have to learn to dance?"

Xanxus was moaning to Harry as he worked on his homework. Harry had learned that the best way to motivate Xanxus to do his homework was to not mention it, but to make a point of being proud and supportive every time Xanxus actually did any. Xanxus thrived off the praise, and appreciated the lack of pressure. Nono still hadn't learned that every time he dragged Xanxus into his office for a 'talk', Xanxus skipped class for the next three days and refused to do any work at all.

"Can't and won't, Xanxus," Harry said as he ran a duster round the doorframe. Everyone was aware by now that his being a servant was only a polite pretence, but he still took pride in doing his job. Being allowed to drop it if Xanxus needed him was just a bonus.

"Right," Xanxus grumbled, screwing up the paper he was working on and throwing it into the bin across the room.

Can't and won't was something that Harry had used to explain why Xanxus had to learn a lot of the pointless things like dancing and table manners. If you didn't use them, people would assume that you couldn't because you were uneducated trash. If you used them until you built up a reputation, and then stopped, people knew you were choosing not to. If you can't do something you're weak, if you won't, you're strong. Enrico had banged his head on the desk when Xanxus had explained that he was learning etiquette so he would be able to ignore it completely, while shooting anyone else who used the wrong fork. Still, it got him to stay in class.

"But the shitty geezer brought in this twittering bitch. Just because I have to dance with her doesn't mean I have to listen to some brainless trash as well." Harry nodded along as Xanxus complained about his teacher, his dance partner, the music, his father, his brothers and everything else that came into his head. Nono disapproved when he complained, as he did most of the things that Xanxus did, but Harry thought that the fact that Xanxus was willing to express his anger with words instead of setting things on fire was a huge step forward.

"I'll see what I can do about your partner," Harry said, as Xanxus wound down. Xanxus just grunted and closed his eyes. The boy could be like a toddler sometimes, with his need for naps in the middle of the day.

The next morning, Harry drove the hour or so to Mafia School. That had been the biggest change over the last two months; learning that his new employers were Mafia. And his new charge could conjure fire in his hands. Both Enrico and Nono had seemed both impressed and suspicious with the way he took it all in stride. Still, having a school for young Mafiosi was strange even for him. He knew it had some kind of official name – he thought there was a Saint someone-or-other in there somewhere – but everyone just called it Mafia School. He had called ahead, so he was able to go straight into the Headmaster's office.

"What can I do for you?" the Headmaster, Rosario D'Angelo asked after the obligatory small talk. D'Angelo talked to him as though he was a representative of the Vongola, rather than looking down his nose at him because he was a servant. It was refreshing, and reassuring. If the man wasn't willing to take him seriously this could not go well.

"Xanxus is learning to dance and needs partners to practice with. Brave, skilled, not prone to small talk or gossip, from allied Families." It was a short list of requirements, but he knew it removed most of the students. The Mafia was a sexist group, and less than thirty percent of Mafia School's students were female.

"We have a couple of young ladies who might suit. Do you want to meet them?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to observe them in class first. I need to see how they act naturally, so I have a baseline. If they're the sort of person who put on a mask to talk to people, Xanxus will see straight through it."

The Headmaster agreed, and led him through the opulent corridors to the class of the first student on his list. D'Angelo pointed her out, but Harry struck her off the list immediately. She was staring at a male student and giggling with her group of friends. That sort of behaviour would drive Xanxus up the wall in seconds, and he didn't want to have to explain to her Family why she was in hospital after a dance class.

The second girl went too far in the other direction. She was timid and shy, which would encourage Xanxus to shoot her. He really didn't have the urge to protect helpless things that the girl seemed to be counting on. The third and last girl seemed promising when he observed her. She was confident with her group of friends, a natural leader without being overwhelming. As soon as he started to talk to her, however, he changed his mind. Her entire attitude did a complete about-turn as soon as the word 'servant' came out of the headmaster's mouth. She became dismissive and condescending before he even had time to finish his sentence. Harry resisted the urge to comment and simply walked away, leaving the girl huffing indignantly at being dismissed.

"We could ask the dance tutor," the Headmaster suggested. "She may have advice on which student would be suitable."

Harry agreed and followed the headmaster to the dance studio, where a tall, slim woman was berating a cowering ten year old.

"Miss Conte," the Headmaster called. The woman snapped a final word at the boy, and walked over to them. A tall white-haired boy dragged the cowering child to his feet and began painstakingly walking him through dance steps.

"How can I help you?" she asked. Harry explained his dilemma.

"None of my girls sound like what you're looking for. I assume you want someone in his age range?" she asked.

"If you have anyone younger than twelve who's capable. He's likely to take offence to an older partner. Most of them can't seem to stop patronising him. He's sent a dozen to the hospital already."

She winced. "Honestly, Superbi Squalo is the only one of my students who knows the female steps and might not rub your boy up the wrong way. Unfortunately, he's on his body guarding module at the moment and he can't leave the Cavallone unattended."

The white-haired boy looked at them as she said 'Squalo'. Harry assumed that was his name, making the cowering boy Cavallone, an allied Family. Not one of much importance, so if Xanxus took offence it wouldn't be much of a political nightmare.

"Body guarding module?" Harry asked. He knew that Mafia School would have some odd classes, but really?

"Squalo is acting as the Cavallone's bodyguard for the month. All the staff are watching and assessing. He'll be marked on how he defends the boy from threats, how he carries and presents himself and how he interacts with his charge, among other things. It's not unheard of for dangerous situations to be created so the reactions to danger can be properly assessed, but the Cavallone normally manages to create situations like that all by himself." From the exasperation in her voice, he guessed that Cavallone was something of a problem child.

"I'm sure Cavallone would be welcome at the lessons as well. The Vongola would guarantee his safety while Squalo worked with Xanxus. If nothing else, seeing him try to dance would be an ego-boost for Xanxus."

Miss Conte laughed. "That's true. Squalo!" she called to the boy.

Squalo, who had been paying attention to the conversation even as he worked with his charge, dragged Cavallone over to where they were standing.

"Voi! What is it?" he demanded.

Harry's first impression of the boy was that he was rude, abrasive and arrogant. As he hadn't been killed yet, he probably had the skills to back it up. Xanxus would either love him or hate him.

The headmaster nodded for him to explain, so he stepped forward.

"My charge is learning to dance. He's put all of the partners who tried to work with him in the hospital. I need someone younger than thirteen, skilled at dancing, who won't inspire my charge to murder them. None of the female students were acceptable, but Miss Conte assures me that you know both the female and male parts to the dances my charge needs to learn.

Squalo looked caught between interested and offended. "I'm not a girl!"

Harry sighed. The boy was so very much like Xanxus. "I know. Can you do this or can't you?"

"I'm body guarding Cavallone," he pointed out. The blond boy next to him waved, took a step forward, and promptly tumbled over, apparently tripping over thin air. Squalo grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him upright without even looking over at him.

"Constantino," _"It's Dino!" the blond muttered._ "Will have to accompany you to the mansion, but once you are there, you can leave him in the care of the Family's security and attend to Mr Potter's charge with no impact on your grade." D'Angelo told him. Harry wasn't surprised that he was willing to make the concession. A link to the Vongola Family was something that any Mafioso would kill for, and the man wasn't about to deny it to one of his students over something as petty as a class assignment.

"Fine then," Squalo grumbled. Harry grinned as he left the pair, after making plans to have them driven over the next morning. It should be fun.

Xanxus and Squalo got on like a house on fire. It was kind of terrifying to see. Harry leant against a wall next to Cavallone, who was doing his Maths homework, while Xanxus and Squalo danced. Squalo was amazingly graceful, in the way of someone who had been drilled in the steps from the time he could walk.

"The fuck did you learn to dance like this, trash?" Xanxus snarled, as Squalo carefully corrected the way he held his arm.

"Once upon a time, I was heir to the Velone Family," Squalo said, with the air of someone getting unpleasant news out in the open.

"So fucking what, trash?" Xanxus snarled, as the tutor snapped at him to stay on the beat.

"Right, you're new. The Velone were allies of the Vongola. Very old, well respected. Until they fucked it up. My old man sold Vongola secrets to Interpol."

Xanxus scoffed. "Fucking suicidal scum."

Squalo laughed bitterly. "Exactly. So, the whole Family was wiped out. But politics, public image, all that bullshit, meant they didn't kill me. They just dumped me at Mafia School. I suppose they expected that to kill me instead."

Xanxus' eyes narrowed as he stopped moving abruptly. It had gone from a dance, to Squalo being trapped tight in Xanxus' arms. He didn't even bother to struggle.

After a minute, Squalo looked away from Xanxus' intense stare. "If you want me to leave, I'll go. No one wants a traitor's son around the Vongola."

"And no one wants a street whore's bastard as a Vongola heir, but the trash'll just have to suck it up. They expected you to die and you came out on top. You rule that fucking school."

"I could. Ruling never interested me." Squalo sounded hesitantly hopeful.

"Yeah? Well, it interests me. I'm gonna need a right hand."

"What?" Squalo yelped. "We only just met."

"You're mine, trash. Look me in the eye and tell me you're not."

Squalo looked Xanxus straight in the eye, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. "I'm yours, Boss."

They both ignored their sputtering tutor and Cavallone's horrified stare as they began moving to the music once again.

"What was that?" Harry asked that evening.

"What? With Squalo? He's mine," Xanxus growled possessively.

He had been furious when their escort had said they needed to return to the school. Several thousand Euros of expensive ornaments and furniture had been destroyed. Harry hadn't bothered trying to step in. Whatever was going on, this was something serious. Xanxus wasn't the kind of person to let anyone know that he cared, so for him to be this open about his feelings for another person was alarming.

"What do you mean by that?" Harry asked.

Xanxus sat still for a second, then went to lock the door.

"This is all top-level Vongola stuff," he said. "I wouldn't have been told till I was older if I didn't already have Flames."

Right, so Xanxus was probably breaking a lot of rules by telling him this. Harry didn't patronise him by asking if he was sure. Suggesting that Xanxus didn't know what he was doing was one of the many things that put his back up.

"There are seven Flame types; Sky, Storm, Sun, Lightning, Rain, Cloud, Mist. They all have different abilities. Sky is the rarest, the least understood, and the most fucking powerful. Skies are leaders, always. Once a Sky manifests their Flames, they draw others in. What a Sky wants is a full set, one of each Flame, called Guardians."

"So Squalo has a Flame too?"

"Rain, or I'm as blind as the rest of the scum. It's called Harmonization. Most of the time, apparently a Sky will meet a Guardian potential, and they'll get to know each other, and slowly Harmonize over time."

Harry nodded to show that he followed.

"The more powerful the Sky, the greater the chance that Harmonizing will just fucking happen, no warning, no waiting."

That sounded incredibly dangerous. "So you could Harmonize with anyone at any time?"

"None of the trash are good enough for me. My Flames want the best, they won't Harmonize with anyone who isn't really fucking strong."

"So Squalo is a really strong Rain, then? And your Flames decided that they liked each other, and now you're stuck with each other."

"We're not stuck!" Xanxus roared. Harry was taken aback by his ferocity. "He's mine. My Rain, my right hand. Mine."

Right, OK. "Is possessiveness part of it too?" he asked.

Xanxus rubbed his face and sat back down. "Yeah. We're both going to be really fucking twitchy until this settles. The trash trying to keep us apart really isn't helping."

"Well, I think someone your own age working alongside you will be a fantastic motivator for you. And your dancing has already improved," Harry said cheerfully. Xanxus looked up at him.

"I can't imagine that anyone would be stupid enough to keep you separate when he;s so good for you. Do you want me to talk to…"

"No!" Xanxus yelled. "Don't bring the fucking trash into this. I can deal."

Squalo's body guarding module finished at the end of the week, luckily. So there were only three days of Cavallone being dragged to the Vongola Mansion and dumped in a corner to finish his homework under Harry's supervision while Xanxus and Squalo danced. For all the two of them complained about it, Xanxus relaxed when he was holding Squalo, more than Harry had ever seen before. He was calmer and more focused when Squalo was in the room, and the discussions the two of them had while dancing – covering everything from algebra to Family politics – stuck with him more than any lessons from his tutors.

The problem with keeping them together was timetabling. Squalo attended Mafia School, which Xanxus was completely unsuited for. Before Mafia School began and finished, he had three hours of dedicated sword practice. There simply wasn't the time for him to visit more than the hour a day they spent dancing, which meant three hours for Squalo including travel there and back. The blond never complained, never even mentioned it, but Harry and Xanxus could both tell that it was wearing on him. After spending two weeks watching Xanxus drive himself into a frenzy, upset that his Rain was suffering, that he was the cause, that he couldn't help, that he only saw his Rain for an hour, he was finally given permission to go to the authority figure most likely to listen to him.

In the two months since they'd met, he and Enrico had formed a tentative alliance. Enrico wanted the best for Xanxus, but had no idea how to make it happen. Harry knew how to make it happen, but didn't have the power to actually get anything done. Together they could solve most problems without involving Nono.

"What can I help you with?" Enrico asked, pushing aside his paperwork as he waved Harry in.

"Superbi Squalo," Harry said, sinking into one of the more comfortable chairs.

"The Velone boy? I'd heard that he was helping Xan with his dancing."

"According to Xanxus, he's his Rain." Harry tried to make it sound like he had only the barest idea of what that meant. Judging by the look Enrico shot him, he wasn't convinced.

"Well, damn," Enrico said. "That's a problem."

"Xanxus does amazingly well when he's there. He's calmer, he learns faster, he's more settled. He even told Squalo that Nono, 'wasn't nearly as bad as some of the other trash he'd met'."

Enrico looked at him in shock.

"I know. The problem is, Squalo goes to Mafia School. I don't know who exactly has his guardianship, so it's not like I can talk to them to arrange something. It means that he can only spend an hour a day here, and that's exhausting him with all the travel. Something's going to give soon. Xanxus can't go to Mafia School, so there aren't many options."

"I'll see what I can do. Does he know you're talking to me about this?"

"Why do you think it took me two weeks to talk to you? I had to wait for him to suggest it."

Enrico laughed. "You have a better sense for him than all the rest of us put together. Tell him I'll do my best, OK?"

Harry agreed, bowed, and left, closing the door softly behind him.

It was two days later when Enrico called Xanxus in to talk with him. Xanxus dragged Harry with him, as he did to anything involving his family. Harry had managed to defuse more than a few arguments by interpreting for Xanxus, even if he knew Nono at least disliked his interference. At least with Enrico, Xanxus had almost reached the point where they could have a civil conversation without Harry needing to say anything at all.

"So, I needed to get Dad to help with this," Enrico started with as soon as they were both sat down.

"Why the f- why would you need the Old Man's help?" Xanxus growled. Harry was impressed that he had managed to remember Enrico's dislike for cursing.

"The Velone sold secrets, Xanxus. That's a Vindice level crime," Enrico said solemnly. "He had to pull a lot of strings to get this sorted, but we've worked it out. Originally, his custody was with the Vindice. To pay the debt that his Family owed to the Mafia, he would have become one of their agents once he graduated."

Xanxus leapt to his feet, knocking his chair backwards. "No!"

"Calm down," Enrico said. Xanxus stayed standing, trembling with rage.

"As I said, we worked it out. Dad has custody of him now; he's officially a ward of the Vongola. He'll live in the mansion here, and commute to Mafia School every morning. In the afternoon, he'll take the classes he can share with you here. We've had to rearrange both of your schedules to make it work, so be grateful. This was a lot of paperwork."

"So, what'll we take together?" Xanxus asked, sinking back into his seat.

"You're both new to Japanese, so you'll share that. The Vongola Family History is something that he'll need to know, so even though he's ahead on his Family History, you'll share that. If you can get up to speed with your Geography, you'll be able to take that together. He's ahead of you in a lot of things, Xanxus, because he's been in Mafia School for years. You'll need to work hard if you want to take classes together."

Xanxus scowled. He obviously didn't appreciate being told that a ten-year-old was better than him, or the blatantly obvious attempt at manipulation.

"He's as much of a prodigy with a sword as you are with guns; he's almost outgrown his Mafia School tutor, apparently. So he'll take sword lessons here while you work with your guns. You'll take hand-to-hand, dancing and etiquette together. If you can catch up to his level, he'll be able to drop Mafia School entirely and share your tutors."

Xanxus nodded after a moment, when it became clear that Enrico had finished. A whole conversation that hadn't needed Harry's input. Squalo was better for Xanxus than even he'd guessed.

"Xan," Enrico said just before they reached the door, "Dad really did work hard to put this together for you. He used up a lot of the favours he had with the Mafia School."

Xanxus paused for a moment before continuing out the door.

Given the news that he'd been given, Harry had expected Xanxus to be a lot happier. Instead, he spent the next week in a towering fury that not even Squalo could calm. Finally, the blond got annoyed with his Sky, and dragged him to a training room, stopping his dance lesson half way through. Harry followed, and watched from the observation area as they fought. There was no style there, no form. This wasn't martial art, this was pure, raw brawling complete with biting, hair pulling and generally trying to beat the shit out of each other. When they were both collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, Squalo said something to Xanxus. Harry didn't know what they talked about, but when they were done Xanxus pulled himself to his feet, stomped on his Rain's ribs, and stalked out of the room. Harry followed after him, stopping to tell the monitor of the training room – who hadn't dared to interfere with any of Xanxus' fights after the last monitor had been sent to the hospital with third-degree burns – to take Squalo to the Infirmary, and keep him there overnight at the very least.

When Harry reached Xanxus' room, it was a mess. The table was overturned, the vase was smashed against the floor, the books were scattered as though Xanxus had swept his arm straight across the bookcase. The boy himself was sat on the one undamaged chair, head in his hands. Harry busied himself with sorting out the mess while he waited for Xanxus to get his head together.

"I owe the fucking trash," Xanxus said suddenly. "What the Hell am I supposed to do about that?"

Oh. That was the problem. How had he not seen that? Gratitude was something that Xanxus was uncomfortable with, and debts would be something that people would hold over them.

"You could just say thank…" Harry began.

"Like Hell!" Xanxus snarled. "I'm not giving the shitty old man something to hold over me."

"So think of something that you can do that would please him. He's done something for you; what can you do in return?"

Xanxus sat still for a moment, before pushing himself to his feet. "I'm going to go shoot something."

Harry sighed and got to work cleaning up.

* * *

I wasn't going to continue this. And then Squalo happened. This fic will not be a priority for me. Mostly, I'll throw a chapter up when I get inspiration, or when I'm stalled out on everything else.

Also,this really needs a better name and summary. Any ideas?


	3. Trouble with the brothers

**Chapter Three - Trouble with the brothers**

Apparently, Don Nono had been asking Xanxus to join the weekly family dinners since he'd first arrived, and Xanxus has steadfastly refused, to his father's dismay. As his gesture of thanks for his help with Squalo, Xanxus had condescended to attend, for what sounded like an incredibly tense hour of tea and strained conversation. Xanxus would inevitable return to his room in an awful mood, immediately change into something more comfortable and go shoot things for the rest of the afternoon.

However, Harry could tell that the time spent with his family was doing Xanxus good. Once he had calmed down, he was generally eager - in that aggressive, I'm-doing -you-a-favour-by-letting-you-listen-to-me way of his - to share the gossip he picked up, or his observations about his father and brothers, or just his complaints of how 'that bastard Enrico always sounds like he's mocking me! How the hell does he do that even when he's agreeing with me!' or 'the shitty old man threw a bitch fit, just because I threw one desk at that idiot teacher!' When he was whining like any other boy his age, like Harry remembered complaining about the harshness of McGonagall or the unfairness of Snape, it was hard to remember that he was a dangerous fighter and fourth in line to inherit the most powerful Mafia Family in the world.

For the two months Xanxus had been attending the family lunches, he and Don Nono had been the only two constant presences. Enrico had missed one when he was in hospital with a broken arm. Xanxus had panicked when he'd heard from a gossiping servant that Enrico was in the hospital. He had promptly abandoned his gun training, rushing down to the car lot to bully someone to drive him there immediately. Luckily Squalo, who had been with him, had the presence of mind to run and fetch Harry. Harry had made it to the garage at a dead run, just before Xanxus immolated the servant who was brave or stupid enough to deny him. Harry had driven both boys to the Vongola-owned hospital and sat with them in the waiting room as a nurse explained that it was a simple break, nothing to worry about. He wished he still carried calming potions with him as he watched Xanxus pace up and down the small room, made even smaller by the presence of two of Enrico's Guardians. He could tell the Rain present was doing his best to keep the atmosphere calm, and Xanxus was barely restraining himself from burning the entire building down.

When the tension got high enough that a nurse almost fainted just from walking past the door, Squalo dragged Xanxus out into the car park. Harry stayed in the waiting room with Enrico's Storm and Lightning – a brunet man called Aragorn and a tiny redheaded woman called Gandalf. A light conversation about Lord of the Rings and Enrico's bizarre choice of naming theme lasted until the two boys tumbled back into the room, bloody and bruised but no longer wound tight enough to explode.

It was only a couple of minutes later that the nurse announced the Enrico was returned from the minor surgery needed to insert the metal pin, there were no complications and he would be waking up shortly. The relief on Xanxus' face was painful. The Guardians had known that it was just a broken arm, and nothing to worry about, so they had been able to view the accident as something to tease their Boss about rather than the terrifying threat to his new family that Xanxus couldn't help but see it as.

As soon as he had seen the groggy but smiling Enrico, Xanxus had growled something about 'wasting my time in this shitty hospital, asshole, don't do it again' and strode right back out of the room. Harry had obligingly driven both boys home, he and Squalo reading the tense lines of Xanxus' body and spending the short trip in silence. Xanxus and Squalo had spent that night in sleeping bags on Xanxus' floor.

The overnight the anaesthetic had required meant that Enrico had missed the next day's lunch, but other than that his record was spotless. Massimo, on the other hand, had only attended one lunch, and Federico had been out of Italy entirely for the last six weeks. Judging by his frustration, Xanxus didn't know what his absence was about, and Nono was refusing to tell him. Harry wondered when Xanxus' father would learn that keeping secrets from him was the best way to alienate him.

* * *

Harry still hadn't met Federico, but Xanxus had introduced him to Massimo and his children during the week they stayed in the mansion. For a certain value of 'introduced'.

Harry was just on his way to the laundry room with Xanxus' bedsheets when he was almost knocked flat on his back by a screaming pre-teen girl hurtling down the corridor. Automatically, he stepped to the side, dropped the sheets, grabbed the girl and pulled her behind him, searching the hallway for threats as he reached reflexively for a wand he hadn't carried for months.

"Nice reflexes," a deep male voice commented.

'Nice' depended on your definition. War-trained instincts didn't die, no matter how many times he reminded himself that the Death Eaters were caught, no one could track him to Italy, and Hermione or Ron would warn him of any threat. If he carried his wand with him, he knew he would have cursed his unsuspecting Muggle co-workers half a dozen times in the first week alone, when they startled him or another burst of gunfire sounded. Harry relaxed slightly as he saw Xanxus striding down the hallway, next to a man Harry didn't recognise. By his resemblance to Enrico, Harry assumed the man was another of the Vongola brothers, but he didn't drop his arm or move away from where he was sheltering the girl.

"Massimo, this is Harry. Trash, the second brother and his spawn." Xanxus immediately made what appeared to be a sincere effort to shatter Massimo's kneecap with a kick from one of his heavy boots, as Massimo reached out to ruffle his hair.

"Pleasure to meet you," Harry said.

"I'm not a spawn!" the girl behind him declared indignantly, to the indulgent smile of her father.

The boy Harry had just noticed hiding behind Massimo nodded fervently, pouting. By the way Massimo had his arm round him, he guessed the older man had pulled him out of the line of fire when he saw Harry reach for a weapon. It made him think highly of the man, that his first instinct was to protect the child.

"Of course not," Harry agreed calmly, dropping his arm and letting the girl move out from where she had been trapped between his back and the wall.

"I'm Daniela Vongola," she declared haughtily.

"I'm Fabio Vongola," her brother added, now holding his father's hand instead of huddled behind him, but still not moving away from the safety the man offered. Less adventurous then, compared to his outgoing sister.

"Harry solves problems, so if any of the trash do something stupid, get him to fix it," Xanxus huffed, before marching to his room and slamming the door. Massimo grinned at his back. Harry wouldn't be surprised if the man saw Xanxus as more of a nephew than a brother, throwing adorable little hissy fits.

"But Uncle Xanxus was going to play with us!" Daniela complained. Harry bit back a laugh at the thought of eleven year-old Xanxus being an Uncle to the girl who couldn't be younger than six. They had obviously been in the middle of a game when Daniela had startled him.

"It looks like your Uncle is busy," Massimo consoled. Harry held back a snort. Busy. Right. He just hated sharing his things, and would retreat in the rare situation when violence wasn't an option. When introducing Massimo and his children to Harry meant both sharing them with him, and him with them, he was impressed that Xanxus had been as mature as was.

"Do you really solve problems?" Fabio asked shyly.

Harry made a flamboyant bow, making the little boy giggle. "I most certainly do my best. Is there something I can help the young master with?"

"The cooks serve carrot with every meal and I hate it."

"Fabio, you know you need to eat your vegetables," Massimo sighed, in what was clearly a well-worn argument.

"Yeah, but carrots are gross!" Fabio stuck his tongue out for emphasis as Daniela nodded in agreement with her arms crossed over chest.

"Is there another vegetable you prefer? I know Xanxus is fond of peas."

That was actually true. He would happily spend an entire day in the kitchen shelling peas for the cooks, as long as he got to snack on them as he went. They were always glad of the assistance, since it was a boring, tedious job.

"Really?" Daniela's eyes were wide. It seemed that she had a slight case of hero worship for her Uncle.

"Really." Harry replied solemnly.

"I want peas too!" Fabio declared.

Massimo gave Harry a look of utmost relief. "If you help Harry pick up the sheets you made him drop, I'll speak to the cooks about serving peas instead of carrots."

As the two children almost tripped him up trying to help, Harry decided that he liked Xanxus' family.

* * *

Harry took advantage of the one guaranteed hour a week that Xanxus was out of his room to the cleaning that was awkward to do with him present - namely vacuuming and stripping his bed. It was the one time a week that Harry had permission to enter Xanxus' room, and even then he wasn't allowed to touch anything but the bed. Normally that wasn't a problem, but this week Xanxus had evidently been in a hurry to leave, because he had left paper all over the bed.

Harry sorted the papers into a neat pile, planning to leave them on the desk, in plain sight when Xanxus returned, when the writing caught his eye.

 _My dear son_

 _Your tutors tell me that your progress in your academics is incredible. I'm making arrangements for Squalo to join you in History and Geography._

 _I'm very proud of you_

 _Father_

Harry had known that ever since he had first suggested writing a list, Xanxus had preferred to communicate with his family through notes, but he hadn't known that they responded in the same way, or that Xanxus thought they were important enough to keep. He avoided reading any more, although he saw signatures from all three of Xanxus' brothers. He arranged them into as neat a pile as he could, given the different sizes of notepaper, and carried on cleaning with a small smile on his face.

Half an hour later, Xanxus returned from lunch, but instead of immediately changing and leaving, he sat down on his sofa, pulling his tie off over his head as he sighed deeply. Harry didn't say anything, knowing from experience that it was better to let Xanxus initiate conversation.

"Federico's back," he said after a couple of minutes of silence.

"Did he do anything interesting?" Harry asked lightly.

"He says he was looking for the woman he wanted for his Mist, who's vanished off the face of the earth."

"Mist is illusions, isn't it? Indigo?"

"Right. They're supposed to be tricky, so the old man thinks that she just decided she didn't want to be a Guardian and ran. Federico insists she wouldn't do that."

"What do you think?"

"He wanted her because she was hot, not because she was talented. If she had been as powerful as him, or even close, they would have Harmonized immediately, instead of spending half a year Courting. She's not anywhere near good enough to hide from the Vongola, not even for a week, let alone six. But it wasn't a secret that Federico wanted her. So."

Harry understood why Xanxus looked so concerned. Anyone with the arrogance to kidnap a Mist, who were notoriously hard to control, was either very strong or very stupid. Someone willing to take a Mist affiliated with the Vongola, and hide them so completely that they couldn't be found was an even greater threat.

"Is there anyone Federico suspects?"

"A Family who dares to take a Courted Mist? A Vongola Mist? There are Families with the balls but without the skill, or the skill but not the balls. I don't know any with both, and neither do Federico or Enrico. The old man insists that if it was meant as an attack on the Vongola, they would have sent a message. But if kidnapping isn't a message, I don't know what the fuck he's waiting for." He scowled, the tie twisted between his fists beginning to smoulder.

"Keep Squalo close for a while?" Harry suggested. It was a leap from a Courted Guardian to a bonded one, but a pre-teen was a lot more vulnerable than a full-grown, trained woman.

"Damn right. The old man didn't like it, but he can shove it up his ass. Enrico and Federico both have my back in this. Until he finds out what the hell happened, neither of you are leaving the fucking mansion."

"Am I not?" Harry asked. He knew that Xanxus struggled to express himself, but he would not be held prisoner by an eleven year old.

"Please."

At that, Harry could only agree. Xanxus must be far more shaken up than Harry had thought. And he couldn't help but be flattered that Xanxus valued him as much as his right-hand man.

* * *

I am so sorry for the wait. So very very sorry.


	4. House Arrest with Daniela

Harry eventually managed to negotiate Xanxus down to something more reasonable than "you must never leave the mansion ever again because Federico's girlfriend went missing". If, after a fortnight, there had been no other attacks, disappearances or signs that someone was targeting those attached to the Vongola, Harry was free to return to his normal routine. If something did happen then Harry, Squalo and Xanxus himself would take every precaution to keep themselves safe. Harry was a grown adult, a war veteran, and yet he was almost completely helpless, unable to protect these two precious, precocious, deadly children from this possible threat. Even if he could bring himself to pick up his wand, he was in Italy as a Muggle. Using magic without permission from the Italian Government was a quick way to be deported at best. Given his status, he would be lucky if it became an international incident instead of all-out war. The research he had done before he moved indicated that he needed to have written permission from the _Dipartimento di Registrazione Bacchetta_ , a division of the _Ministero per la Regolamentazione degli Strumenti Magici_. Italian beaurocracy was complex and many-layered, however, and it was more than possible that he would need to register with multiple departments before he even got close to the DRB.

While Harry took advantage of his temporary house arrest to write some long-overdue letters, Xanxus tried to convince his brother that Daniela and Fabio should stay in the mansion as well. Despite his surprisingly calm and polite reasoning, Massimo brushed off his youngest brother. Massimo wanted his children involved in the Mafia as little as possible and since his wife and youngest child – eighteen-month-old Antonella - had been assassinated while they were living at the Vongola mansion, Harry couldn't say he blamed him for not feeling safe there. When calm reasoning didn't work Xanxus resorted to more tried and true methods. After the almighty fit Xanxus threw- a whole wing of the house now had to be rebuilt – Enrico had gotten involved and managed to convince Massimo that ignoring danger didn't make it go away. Massimo had agreed to bodyguards and pulling the children out of school for the next two weeks, but still refused to stay in the mansion. Harry could see how edgy having the children out of his sight was making Xanxus, even though he wasn't even three years older than Daniela.

Massimo was not the only family member to provoke Xanxus' volatile temper. The morning after Massimo had conceded to the necessity of bodyguards, three days into the fourteen-day countdown, Nono pulled Xanxus into his office for a 'little chat'. Being as paranoid and unsettled as he was, Xanxus had brought Squalo and Harry along without informing his father, Enrico had been drawn by the raised voices and in short, things had become very loud, very quickly. Ten minutes after the meeting had started, Harry and Nono were the only ones left in the room and Harry was trying desperately not to punch Don Nono in his smug, patronising face. Xanxus had already lost the battle with his limited self-control, and Enrico had pulled him and Squalo out of the room to calm down.

"I had hoped that Squalo would ease his temper somewhat," Nono commented, sipping his tea. "The boy is perhaps not the ideal candidate for a Rain Guardian."

"He's the ideal Rain for Xanxus, and that's what's important," Harry said icily. "Maybe Xanxus lost his temper because you accused him of being paranoid, and told him you were shocked he gave a damn about anyone else at all, all in the same breath. Sir."

"Careful, boy," Nono said as the air in the room suddenly became harder to breathe. "As my son's Cloud you have a great deal of freedom, but that will only go so far."

"Of course." Harry stood up and turned to leave without being dismissed. "Despite it being a 'ridiculous overreaction'," he quoted the comment that had sent Xanxus into a fiery rage, "I'll be staying in the mansion for the next two weeks. I'll try not to get underfoot."

Harry left unsaid the fact that he only ever saw the Don when Enrico or Nono himself summoned him to translate for Xanxus. Harry had unintentionally found himself in the contradictory position of having a great deal of power but no official status, and Nono had no idea how to deal with him. So for now they just circled around each other, both uneasily accepting that the other had Xanxus' best interests at heart, and both vehemently disagreeing with how the other went about meeting those interests.

After all the drama, it turned out that two weeks weren't necessary. Ten days after Federico reported back that he couldn't find his lady-love, there was a kidnapping attempt on Clotilde Bianchi, Don Bianchi's eldest child. After that, it was as though the floodgates had been opened. Dino Cavallone was in hospital after a kidnap attempt was barely stopped. Three young Vongola Suns, two Lightnings and a Storm were taken before Nono gave the order that anyone Flame active be moved to the nearest secure place. The only ones that had been targeted were those who were still in training, so they had been moved to the main house, into their own separate wing. Xanxus only had to set fire to one overly curious Storm before they learned to stay in their own part of the house.

At Nono's insistence, Massimo finally moved into the mansion with Daniela and Fabio. Fabio treated it like a holiday, and roped Harry (and therefore Xanxus and Squalo) into games of hide-and-seek or tag that spanned the entire house, several hours and at least a dozen more people at the end than when they started. It was good to see Xanxus acting like the child he was, and hilarious to see how competitive Squalo was. Xanxus would occasionally let Fabio win; Squalo would rather cut off his own foot.

Daniela, on the other hand, knew that something was wrong. Massimo tried to keep her insulated from the threat, but even if Xanxus was interested in maintaining the pretence that everything was fine it was impossible to keep the tense atmosphere from her. She trailed after Xanxus like a grim little duckling of doom, following him to lessons, to dance practice, to the shooting range. It was this last one which caused the normally easy-going Massimo to lose his temper with his little brother.

"You have no right!" the thirty-two year old man shouted at the defiant twelve-year-old. "My daughter will not grow up to be a killer."

"She'll grow up to be Vongola! She's Family! Why the hell do you think I'd leave her weak and helpless? Not knowing how to protect yourself makes you a fucking target. No one's going to look at her and say, 'she doesn't have a fucking clue which end of a gun is which, we'll leave her alone'. I don't know what fucking fantasy world you live in, asshole, but unless you want Daniela to end up with a bullet in her head - if she's lucky enough to meet someone who'll kill her quickly - then you'll let her fucking learn!" Xanxus screamed back at him.

Harry stepped in, as was his role. Massimo looked shell shocked, and Xanxus looked hurt, although Harry would be surprised if anyone else could see it.

"Miss Daniela hasn't done any shooting as yet. Of course she would need your permission for that. All she's learned is gun safety, and how to assemble and disassemble a weapon, which a useful skill to have. Learning how to shoot didn't make Young Master Xanxus a murderer." The formality was complete bullshit, of course. Massimo knew full well that had Daniela had conferred on Harry the right to call her Dani, and Xanxus was likely to punch Harry in the face and then drag him to Legolas to be checked for illusions and other Mist-tricks.

"I have the right to control my daughter's education. Not her playmate and not a servant." With that Massimo stormed off, leaving Xanxus looking heart-broken. He was trying to protect his niece the best way he knew how, and to have his brother essentially disown him for it - reduce him to Daniela's playmate - hurt. For the first time since the war ended, Harry wished he had his wand so that he could do physical harm to someone.

Massimo apologised the next day, but Daniela wasn't allowed back to Xanxus's lessons. Relations between the brothers were strained, and although Harry could see the regret on Massimo's face, he didn't think Xanxus would be forgiving or forgetting any time soon. Harry honestly believed that if Massimo wasn't the gatekeeper to the children Xanxus had adopted as his own, the twelve-year-old would be quite happy never speaking to his older brother again. Trust, respect and affection weren't things that Xanxus handed out based solely on a little thing like blood

That confrontation ignited Xanxus' temper, and it didn't seem like anything could make it simmer down again. He broke Squalo's wrist during dance practice, almost dislocated Enrico's kneecap when his brother fetched him for a meeting with his father, and terrorised most of the teenage Flame trainees in the house. Soon he was stalking over to their wing specifically to pick a fight which many of the teens, themselves cooped up in an unfamiliar place, far from home and family, where happy to give him.

"Xanxus!" Harry called, hoping that the pre-teen would actually listen to him today. They had all been confined to the mansion for over a month, and cabin fever was taking its toll. Enrico had tasked Harry with bringing Xanxus back to the main part of the house before he could set fire to anything. Or anyone.

"The fuck do you want?" Xanxus yelled, his voice muffled.

Harry followed the sound, trying to track down his wayward ward. Hearing the sound of splintering wood, he sighed. So it was one of those days. He wasn't surprised. Nono had pulled Xanxus into his office for a 'little chat' that morning, and Harry hadn't seen him since. Squalo was busy with his tutors which meant that Xanxus would have spent the entire day stewing.

"For you to get something to eat! And maybe come and talk so we don't have to shout at each other!" Harry called down the hall.

Xanxus came storming down the corridor. Curious teenagers who had poked their heads out to see what all the noise was about scurried away. "I'm not a fucking kid, and you're not my parent. I don't need you to tell me when to eat," he snarled.

Harry's own temper, which he had been desperately trying to keep under wraps, finally burst loose. "I'm so sorry for overstepping, young master," he drawled sarcastically.

That seemed to be the last straw for Xanxus. He slammed his fist into Harry's chest. Harry knew that Xanxus was violent, but the boy had never raised a hand to him, so he wasn't expecting things to escalate into a physical fight. He definitely wasn't prepared for the force of the blow which sent him careening into a bookshelf.

"Shit! Harry, I'm sorry. Get up, I'll get a doctor - where's the fucking medic!"

Harry could hear Xanxus panicking, but he couldn't find the breath to reassure him. His chest was on fire, and so was his back. He would be lucky if his ribs were only bruised, and he knew something was broken. He had heard the crack. He tuned out the world and focused on taking slow, shallow breaths.

Reluctantly, he opened his eyes as someone tapped his face. A teenager stared back at him. Harry was transfixed by his hair. It was bright blue and candyfloss pink. He looked like a male Tonks, or a grown-up Teddy. Teddy was still a baby, right? Andromeda hadn't let him see him in years, but three was still a baby.

The teenager wasn't a baby, and he wouldn't stop talking. Harry did his best to track the boy's finger, but he didn't think he did too well. He could feel Xanxus' warm, dry hand clutching his own and squeezed it, trying to reassure him. As the medics came and he was loaded onto a stretcher, movement sending starbursts of agony racing through him, he kept hold of that hand.

One mild concussion, two cracked ribs and severe bruising. He had gotten worse from playing Quidditch, but Xanxus acted as though he had been crippled. He and Squalo, as well as Daniela, Fabio and the teen - a Sun named Luca - were dedicated to the cause of making sure that Harry didn't do anything ever. They fetched his food, did his work for him (although Harry was fairly sure that Daniela and Fabio trying to do laundry made more work for the staff, not less) and made sure he was accompanied at all times, should he be permitted to leave the sofa.

It gave him time to get to know the little Family that Xanxus was building for himself. He and Luca had Harmonised while fussing over Harry. Enrico was not impressed, and Nono even less so. Luca was openly, flamboyantly homosexual, a fighter rather than a healer – they both believed that Xanxus didn't need any more violent influences - had a degenerative eye condition and damage to his knee that made it unlikely he would ever master his beloved Mui Thai. In short, he was the last person anyone would expect to claim the prestigious position of Sun Guardian.

But he was also thoughtful, being the one who enabled them all to exist in close quarters. He backed Harry's mission to make everyone wear gloves and scarves, goddammit, and made sure that Xanxus and Squalo actually did their homework. He sourced winter clothes, and food that everyone was willing to eat, and orange glitter pens for Fabio. In short, he was a treasure.

For the first few days, Xanxus seemed an entirely different child. He was teary and clingy, not letting anyone out of his sight. He waited on Harry hand and foot, diligently did homework, and was polite and respectful whenever Enrico dropped by. It was heart-breaking. Slowly, as Harry continued treating him normally, he relaxed a little, but there was no roughhousing with Squalo, no sparring with Luca. Harry had accepted the apology that Xanxus had offered so frantically when he had realised what he'd done, but there was nothing but time that could convince him of that.

Xanxus' guilt over hurting Harry was not the only drama going on in their little family.

"Why does he want me to be a leader?" Daniela asked plaintively after another afternoon when Massimo had dragged her and Fabio away for some 'family bonding'.

"How do you mean?" Harry asked, sipping the hot chocolate Luca had handed to him.

"Daddy says Dani should have her own friends, not just follow Uncle Xan," Fabio piped up. "He says that Dani is never going to be proper Sky if she doesn't know how to lead."

"It's not fair!" Daniela yelled, throwing herself into a chair. Luca cooed at her, passing her the lime green panda mug.

"I'm Uncle Xan's Cloud. I'm not a Sky! But he and Grandpa both say I can't be your Cloud! Grandpa says I'm making it up!" She turned to Xanxus with a scowl on her face and tears in her eyes.

"Shitty old man-" Xanxus began, before Harry cut him off.

"Actually, I think that one might be my fault." All eyes turned to him. "I'd almost forgotten. I think that Don Nono thinks I'm your Cloud Guardian."

Xanxus stared at him, mouth gaping open. Squalo burst out laughing. "He - you - Cloud - oh my God!" he choked. Luca clucked and passed him a handkerchief to wipe up the hot chocolate that had spilled down his chin.

"You're not my Cloud. You're not any Guardian. If we were going to Harmonize, we would have by now," Xanxus said bluntly.

"I know that, and you know that. But your family seems to get a bit strange about it. Sorry Dani," Harry said.

Daniela contemplated for a moment, and then haughtily nodded her forgiveness. Fabio broke the tension by demanding that Squalo teach him how to squirt hot chocolate out of his nose.

It was expected, after Daniela had revealed her father's expectations for her, that Massimo would object to her spending so much time with her Uncle. It still came as a shock when Fabio came running into Xanxus' rooms one morning and hurled himself at Harry, who tried not to scream at the sharp flare of agony in his ribs.

"Daddy sent Dani away! He says she's going to stay with Aunt Chiara, but I didn't get a chance to say goodbye." The boy started sobbing, and Harry stroked his hair, taking shallow breaths.

There was a crash from the doorway. Harry couldn't turn enough to see, but from the smell of burning, he knew that Xanxus was furious. He concentrated on soothing the child in his arms and smiled gratefully when Luca came in, offering sugary cereal to tempt Fabio over to the small coffee table and away from Harry, so he could take some much-needed painkillers.

Harry had expected Xanxus to come by with news, or with a scowling report of an absence of news. He hadn't expected a grim-faced Enrico at two o'clock in the afternoon.

"Daniela never made it to her Aunts. Her guards are dead, the car is a wreck and she's missing."

Fabio broke into a fresh storm of tears.


End file.
